Children are almost five times more likely to win their cases when they have counsel
The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found that 9 out of 10 children were ordered deported when they appeared alone in court without representation. By contrast, nearly half—47 percent—of children who had representation won their cases. Furthermore, children with counsel appear at immigration hearings 92.5 percent of the time; they are far less likely to fail to appear for proceedings, a concern voiced by some lawmakers. Providing these children with lawyers undoubtedly increases their chances of remaining in the United States, but returning them to their home countries without a full and fair hearing would mean sending them back to the violent conditions that they fled in the first place. Simply put, it is impossible to provide a full and fair hearing without first providing legal counsel.